Real Wedding – Shona and Colm

I cannot believe it’s just over a year since this wedding!! Introducing the fabulous abroad wedding of Shona and Colm. Shona is my husbands cousin and my knight in shining armour. Shona is a midwife and has been the most amazing help when my two came along. Shona trained as a midwife in UL and her best friend just happened to have the lovely Colm as a brother. Low and behold, they met and it was love at first sight and here we are today sharing their beautiful wedding in Spain.

The Engagement

Shona’s sister Eve emigrated to Australia and in November 2017, the whole family decended on sunny Perth for a trip of a life time. Colm saw an opportunity to get down on one knee on Scarborough beach in Perth. Of course Shona said yes and there was great celebration for the rest of the trip.

Planning

Having lived together in Spain, they always knew that they wanted to return and there was no objection from us family! Of course, planning a wedding abroad is no easy task but Colm and Shona are fluent in Spanish and knew the lay of the land very well. They didn’t need a destination planner as they knew the area.

They visited La Cala Golf Hotel & Spa in La Cala de Mijas and fell in love. Not only was it a beautiful resort, but the views made it impossible to say no. The wedding team were superb and helped Shona and Colm plan all aspects.

Once they were happy with the venue, by pure chance they found a lovely priest from Donegal who happened to be living in the area. They booked him straight away!

Shona put her organisation skills to full use and found an invaluable website ‘Bodas.net‘ that had every supplier they would need for their day.

They were back and forth a few times but the majority of the final decisions were made in the February prior to their wedding. They flew over with their mum’s for a nice trip of wedding planning and family bonding,

The Big Day

What a day…..the sun was epic.

Wedding preparations started at 7.30am for the couple but the guests were in no panic! As the couple were getting ready they could see their guests enjoying the pool and facilities at La Cala Resort. Some of us even took to the beach that morning.

“We had a beautiful intimate ceremony that lasted just about an hour with our closest friends and family who had all made such a huge effort to be there. It was exactly what we wanted. It was a real family affair with lots of personal touches and a contribution by several of our guests. My 2 younger cousins served mass, another cousin sang a song after communion and Colm’s sister read the most fabulous reflection that she had written herself. A friend of ours and my Uncle did the music for us which was so lovely and really added to the ceremony!”

Guests made their way to the resort and were greeted with a beautiful canapé and drinks reception. It was a relaxed atmosphere and by 5pm all guests were seated in what can only be described as the most amazing ballroom. The ballroom is outdoor with light canape covering. It is open around the sides and behind the top table you get to soak in an incredible view of rolling hills, sun and golf course. I must admit, I was blown away by the scene. I’ve never seen a more spectacular background. Whats more, there is so much greenery around the ballroom, the little ones were able to enjoy themselves running around. The food was top class and service the best you will get.

The speeches were broken up in between courses and that made for a nice atmosphere.

“After dinner, Colm and I went out around the golf course while the sun was setting and got some more beautiful shots thanks to our amazing photographer and videographers.”

Then came the party…….what a blast! Aoife Kelly who provided the church music earlier, took centre stage with a singing and fiddle performance. It was better than any band could even try and perform. Aoife was right in the thick of it and putting modern slants on traditional songs. We didn’t stop dancing. The DJ took over and played for 4-5 hours and everyone danced the night away! To let you in on a secret, I actually drove to the venue as we were staying in an Airbnb on the beach, I ended up ditching the car there and letting the hair down. The craic was too good!

Parting Advice

“Just decide on things that you both want and don’t want based on what you’ve seen/experienced at other weddings before, write them down and go for it. It’s such a personal day and everything should be decided by you and nobody else. There are no rules about what you have to have in a wedding and if you don’t want it… Don’t do it! Don’t let anyone pressure you into anything you’re not comfortable with and enjoy the planning process. It can be a little stressful at times, but also fun. Keep a notebook to have a record of everything; numbers, prices, plans, websites etc. and keep it safe. Shop around, do loads of research, ask friends and family about what they did, and don’t be afraid to ask for discounts or better prices from suppliers… It’s always worth a try!”

“If you can afford it, get a videographer! This was said to me by several people when we were trying to decide whether we really needed one or not and I’m so glad we did it!

The day goes by so quickly and you obviously can’t be everywhere and see everything. And after the wedding is over, you can be left feeling a bit deflated and sad that it’s all over after so much planning and excitement in the run up to it! Having the video (and pictures) to look back over is great to be able to re-live it all makes me smile everytime!”